Science activities for the busy teacher.
This blog will be participating in the A to Z challenge for April 2016. Posts are abbreviated for visitors. Pertinent links for more in-depth information are provided. Warning to non-teachers, comments will get very honest answers concerning anything unsafe to do in a classroom. Teachers would not take it personal. Neither should you. Safety is first.

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Thursday, April 7, 2016

Fisheries

Salmon fishery in Alaska. Note the man-made ladder of the salmon run.

Environmental Science includes the study of best practices of natural resource management. This includes urban planning, wetland management, agroecology, fisheries, agroculture, forestry and other disciplines.

Ninety percent of the fish consumed by people are salt water fish. Fisheries can be the introduction of small fish into an ecosystem. In the fishery pictured in Alaska, they take the eggs and sperm of caught salmon and stir them together to produce small fry to reintroduce. This is called fry farming. At one time the fry would be lost in the salmon harvest.

Aquaculture is a very old practice. Oysters have been cultivated as far back as one century before the common era in the Roman Empire. Jack London wrote a short story about Oyster Pirates. East Coast Oysters were cultivated off the coast of California. Pirates would sneak in and steal the oysters to sell at much lower prices in the marketplaces.

Fish are grown and harvested in ponds, tanks and indoors in some locations. The technology needed to provide nutrients and recycle water are problems solved in these operations. India has a system of ponds in which six species of fish are grown. Some feed off algae and others feed off other components in the pond. Some fisheries have large cages submerged in the water to protect the fish from predation and for easy harvest when the fish are an appropriate size.

Safety Always

These activities are chosen and designed to be safe. The nature of an accident is it is not planned. Water is a very safe substance. Spill water on the floor, someone can slip and fall. The greatest safety rule is to Think before you Do.

I taught science for over 30 years. I had a few accidents in the classroom. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. Purchasing a set of safety glasses at the dollar store is a good investment. I know parents, schools, etc shouldn't ask you to buy such. Life is all too real. If someone got hurt, you would have immense guilt.

Know your audience. There is a balance between a math teacher too afraid to let a group of students use a compass because it has a sharp point and the free for all approach some teachers use.

I've got a safety contract that I used in the classroom. Feel free to use it. The shorter and clearer the rule, the more compliance you will get. If you have that child or parent that you have to think like a Philadelphia lawyer around, realize it is an opportunity to deliver your instruction more clearly and safely.

I will post any warnings or cautions that I can think when making the posts. However, I cannot be responsible for what happens in your classroom or home. Use any of these activities at your own risk.